Hidden Teesside

In what it now a car park are the remains of Grosmont Ironworks built in 1862 and demolished in 1892. Despite now being a rural setting the immediate area contains numerous ironstone mines.

The most promenant feature is a large brick structure which is believed to be part of the system which carried raw materials to the top of the three blast furnaces. Apologies for the dark photos but it was getting late and I only had a basic camera.

Closer to the railway station is the base of the third blast furnace, added in 1876

Loftus Ironstone mine operated from 1865 until 1958 (although some earlier working was done by several companies back to 1847 in the immedite area)

The name of the town and mine are said to have been altered to avoid confusion with Lofthouse near Wakefield when the railways arrived.

The pit for the Waddle ventilation fan is still very prominant on the site

The Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum (formerly the Tom Leonard Mining Museum) which occupies the site is currently closed for the winter, so I shall have to return for internal shots next year, however a few items can be seen outside even when its closed.

1882 datestone from the engine house of Lumpsey Mine

1914 datestones from the fan house at South Skelton Mine

The mine stables are currently being converted, a drift ran underground from the stables directly into the mine

‘Mare et Ferro’ - Sea and Iron, granted 10th October 1922 (Coatham Enclosure was built in the 1930s)

The heavily eroded parts at the top are iron ingots and a blast furnace, they can be seen better in this printed version

With the nights closing in, I’m having to trawl my old photos for new material.

On the Rosedale Railway, at the head of the incline down towards the Farndale mines are the remains of a hand powered windlass.

Many other scraps of railway embankments and cuttings lie in the immediate area.

The actual mine site lies to the west within a scrapyard, this circular structure houses a 60ft shaft which was used to pump water out of the mine.

It was also said to have housed a wooden staircase to allow access to underground stables.

The two capped shafts at Liverton are unusually close together.

The smaller diameter upcast shaft plaque reads :-

Mine Shaft
Depth 143m
Dia 3.75m
Capped 7-4-90

The larger downcast shaft reads

Mine Shaft
Depth 143m
Dia 4.53m
Capped 8-5-90

The rest of the area including the shale tips has been heavily landscaped with a couple of nearby buildings being the only clue to the once industrial site.

North Skelton mine hold a number of records. It was the last ironstone mine in Cleveland to close, having operated from the early 1870s until the 17th January 1964. It was the deepest mine in Cleveland with a 770ft shaft. It was the last in Cleveland to use a regularly use a steam winder, right up until 1951 (although Lingdale did keep one in working order as a backup until closure in 1962)
Little remains today as the site is within the current premises of Tees Components who very kindly allowed our small group to photograph the remaining buildings.

The winding house with its 1871 date stone and small door in the wall for winding ropes is the most substantial original structure.

Other original buildings remain, although they have been modified for other uses.

Outside the site is a small headframe, although the real thing was very different as can be seen against the winding house
 

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE WALK
Sunday 13th September

Around Grosmont and Esk Valley

Meet outside St. Matthew’s Parish Church
At 1pm for a short walk
Over Lease Rigg
Return approx. 5pm

Details will include Hagg’s mine and Esk Valley mine, description of mining methods and tour of loco sheds.
Exhibition inside the Church.

Walk led by Simon Chapman
Author of Grosmont and it’s mines.
Refreshments included

Skelton Park is the most complete set of ironstone mining buildings left in Cleveland, the mine was operated by Bell Brothers between 1872 and 1923, then Dorman Long through to 1938.

The most substantial building on site is the Main Winding House, dated 1872. This housed a steam winding engine which wound cages in the adjacent 384ft deep downcast shaft. The roof of this building was intact until late 1994 when it finally succumbed to the elements.

The largely intact Power House originally housed an air compressor for drilling and haulage, attached to this are a small ambulance room and time office.

The impressive Schiele fanhouse building also houses the 378ft deep upcast shaft. The different coloured 8ft of bricks at the top of shaft date from its conversion to also be winding shaft as well as ventilation.

Next to the fanhouse is a Secondary Winding House, its construction suggest it was modified for hauling in the upcast shaft and may originally have been used during construction of the downcast shaft which can be seen from the window.

Numerous other ranges of mine buildings still exist, such as a saddlers shop and Provinder House used for preparation of feed for the horses.

Also a Blacksmiths and Joiners workshops.

A substation from the electrification of the site in 1909 is shown below, the base of a chimney, weighbridge, boiler pump house, horse gins and a couple of powder magazines are also hidden away within the site. 

Please note that the mine site is on private land and the mine managers house approached from Skelton Ellers has been converted into a private residence so should not be visited. That said the path from Back Lane in Skelton is heavily used by dog walkers. A detailed survey of the site can be found in the excellent “Skelton Park Ironstone Mine” by Simon Chapman.

This attractive commemorative village name sign carved by Phil Townsend depicts numerous mining scenes on tiles made by local children, hopefully a new generation now won’t forget why the town exists.

Widely considered to be a whipping post, but I have heard it suggested it may be nothing more than an old sign post.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

Nearby are some reconstructions of an ironstone tub and kibble.

The North Riding Infirmary donated to the town by Ironmaster Henry Bolckow in 1864 was demolished in late 2006 to make way for a much needed Aldi and Travelodge (ahem)

The portico was saved after pressure from locals, although initially hidden behind road signs the owners have still not seen fit to remove the numbering and clean it up properly

Despite being one of the last in the area to close in 1962, there are very few surface remains left in Lingdale, with the area now covered by an industrial estate.

The only substantial remains are part of the Scirocco fanhouse which ventilated the mine, its curved walls can still be seen and either wind or water can be heard roaring inside the No. 1 shaft if you put your ear to the metal door. I would love to see whats in there. 

The other large but heavily modified building is the remains of the boiler house.

This recent plaque next to the mine site, records the date of the sinking of the first shaft in 1873 until the closure of the mine in 1962

Nova Scotia was the name of the piece of woodland that existed at this location before the mine was built

Right next to the crossroads is a modern recreation of a mine tub.

The internet has so far given me no information on who made them.

The statue of ironmaster and mayor of Middlesbrough John Vaughan was sculpted by George Anderson Lawson and unveiled on 2nd June 1884.

There are four metal panels on the sides of the statue depicting various mining and industrial scenes.

The Cleveland Buildings from 1840 were the home of Henry Bolckow and his brother-in-law John Vaughan

There are a couple of plaques already in place.

Also commemorated is a later resident Sir William Crosthwaite, Mayor of Middlesbrough and founder of the Tees Towing Company.

Bolcklow house was design by W.H. Blessley in 1872 who was also the architect of the Eston Miners Hospital. The attractive front was added in 1885.
 

It later became a bank and the local chamber of commerce.

A short ironstone trail can be seen just by the roadside in Fryup, it probably not much more than 10m in length.

Drifts were cut near Post Gate Hill around 1870, traces of these remain although now appear to be used as a modern water source.

The only sizeable remains on the site are those of a bridge under which an incline from the mine site seems to have run. The tramway from this location entered a tunnel around NZ 774054 then travelled below Glaisdale village and emerged onto a trestle bridge near the ironworks around NZ 777055.